Globalization of the world economy has brought about a strong demand for automated information management that includes multilingual documentation. Throughout the world, business and industry encounters an ever-increasing need to provide consistent documentation for products and processes that are rapidly evolving and to do so in multiple languages. Traditionally, some computer-assisted document management and translation tools have been used to facilitate these processes. However, there has been little integration of comprehensive end-to-end documentation management to provide a uniform process for information management from the creation of data to its publication in myriad formats and various languages.
The constantly-increasing flood of information must be organized with an intelligent, effective information management system so that users of data can distinguish important from unimportant information specific to their needs and ensure the reliability of the information. It is significant that in the industrial world, information is the only production factor that can be duplicated easily, that can be used simultaneously in several locations, and that is not consumed with use. These positive attributes stand in contrast to the fact that information can easily be changed along the way from the creator of data to its ultimate consumer, which calls its reliability into question.
Traditional approaches to information management have attempted to address this problem by version controlled consumer-oriented documents. However, attempts to manage multiple versions ensures a proliferation of inconsistent versions and multiplies the complexity of managing what is essentially a multi-dimensional information matrix of uses, components, languages, and other factors. Control of document versions also allows subsequent users of data to inappropriately change content and relationships mandated by the creator of the information. It also multiplies the time required to deliver information to users in an accurate and useful format.
In order to ensure the timeliness, reliability, and consistency of information in a multi-lingual production or marketing environment, a system is required that supports management of the information from its generation by authors during the collection or creation of their information through updating, editing, translation and final publication and distribution of properly formatted information in the appropriate format for the targeted end-user. Only a unified system that enforces quality and uniformity—and that preserves the accuracy and proper context of information during the entire process—is capable of addressing these real-world information management dilemmas. Traditional systems, including those based on document version control, often provided for multiple instances of the same data to be stored and independently changed. Moreover, in traditional approaches the context and usage details of data are not stored with the data itself giving rise to ambiguity with regard to the purpose and use of data, and further giving rise to inconsistency in usage, terminology, and translation paradigms.
The present invention overcomes these limitations by managing the creation of highly granular units of qualified information that is stored in a common repository and is separated from any specific document format or structure, enabling the publication of information in any format or structure. The invention also facilitates the use of industry-specific templates that ensure appropriate and consistent use of information. This system enables the comprehensive use of synergies in the collection of information and guarantees the accuracy and timeliness of information, including multiple translations, without continual editing and re-editing of the same information.